Okay, can we just talk about HOW Love's family could possibly be THIS rich from owning a few grocery stores in southern California? Is this meant to be some kind of joke about what hippies will pay for health food? The book portrays them as people who can afford to bathe in champagne and throw away $100,000 in a day when they're in a bad mood. They own vacation spots in the most expensive places, and boats and jets and literally do whatever they want whenever they want...because they own a very small grocery chain.

I think what's frustrating about this book is it almost passes for satire. There are so many things about it that would tickle me if it was clearly intended as a joke. Like Joe is a massive hypocrite who constantly contradicts himself, and it's GREAT. I actually did laugh at times because of what a massive chode he is. Joe is the most entitled, narcissistic piece of crap I've ever read about.

What gets me about the situation though is that other people seem to read him as a serial killer you hate to admit you like...and the author describes him that way too!

What? He is THE WORST. He is a caricature of every shitty dude I've ever had the misfortune of being in the same friend's circle with. He thinks he DESERVES the attention of every woman he's interested in because he thinks he's the smartest, most interesting guy in every room, and he's super threatened when he realizes he's not. He either loves or he hates people based on the smallest things. He thinks he can read every situation all the time, and that he knows what everyone is thinking and feeling, and he routinely ACTS on what he thinks he knows like it's irrefutable fact. And you know, that means he's like, "That person doesn't respect me...I'm going to MURDER them tonight."

I think you can maybe see why I feel like this is almost really hilarious satire. Joe is such an over the top cunt.

I don't admit to liking Joe. I hate Joe. Joe is the most wonderfully awful character. I almost want to give the book four stars because...bravo. Joe is a very realistic bad guy. The mental gymnastics are perfection.

But I've watched interviews with the author and SHE creeps me out. I don't even think she knows how terrible Joe is. She's said, "Joe doesn't scare me." And it's like...really? You're not afraid of a guy who murders everyone who rejects him or gets in his way? Who feels entitled to love from everyone he likes and who doesn't care what other people want? Joe isn't capable of actual love. His love is obsessive and shallow.

Anyway, switching gears for a moment, I'm also super irritated that the Kepnes doesn't do her homework. You don't need a boating license in California and you can legally turn right on red. The author lives in California. This is common knowledge there. At least google the law before you make a whole thing out of it in your stories.

Hidden Bodies also mocks LA in a way I found grating. I'm from California and mock it all the time, but I feel like Kepnes misses the mark with most of her attempts to take a swing at the terrible culture of Southern California.

Also, this author loses points for writing a trilogy and then turning around and being like, "Oh, a third book? Maybe. I've definitely been thinking about it, but I haven't started it." Wut. You wrote a cliff hanger...why are you being coy?

Obvs, I'll read the 3rd one. It really is a four star book with glaring flaws. That's the best way I can think of to describe it. I want to keep reading, and also want to throw it across the room and yell at everyone who likes it.